Florida Business Says Make 2013 the Year of Organizing Records

TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Let's face it, at this time of year, some daily business tasks fall by the wayside.  But there's one area you don't want to fall behind on: keeping business records organized.

"Knowing what to keep and what to destroy can be tricky, but not managing the information puts your business at risk," said Marshall Stevens, co-owner of Stevens & Stevens Business Records Management, Inc., a Florida-based full-service records management center. "The biggest issue is that you may not be complying with certain laws or have the records you need if there's a lawsuit. If you're keeping everything 'just in case,' that could also be harmful."

Here are some tips to consider:

• What to keep? This will depend on your industry, so consult your legal and accounting staff, as well as a records management center.
• How long should information be kept? The seven year rule does not apply to all documents. Talk with a trusted advisor to determine specific retention periods. Never keep things just to be safe, because during an audit, all records can be looked at regardless of age.
• Preserve information for its full retention period. Make sure you can read what you keep. In addition to securing information with locks and passwords, store information in a climate controlled, dust free location. Make back ups and store them in separate locations.
• Properly destroy unneeded information. Confidential destruction of records is crucial. A professional shredding service can provide you with a certification of destruction.   
• Destroy old hard drives. Even if you have deleted everything off old computers and copier hard drives, the information could still be there. Seek out a vendor that can destroy the entire hard drive, making it unreadable.
• Simplify things for 2013. To save time and resources, consider transitioning hard copy files to electronic formats housed on a secure, password protected website.

Getting organized can take time, but having control of your records will provide you with the information you need to make informed business decisions.

Stevens & Stevens Business Records Management is a full-service records storage and information management center, providing services throughout the Southeastern United States, including, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Visit www.ssbrm.com and follow Stevens & Stevens on Twitter (http://twitter.com/StevensBRM) or Facebook (http://facebook.com/ssbrm).

SOURCE Stevens & Stevens Business Records Management, Inc.